"Plain and simple, this amendment will do more to prevent law-abiding Minnesotans from voting than actually stopping any fraud at the ballot box," Minnesota AFL-CIO President Shar Knutson said following the Legislature’s passage of the legislation Wednesday.
"This amendment puts an undue burden on seniors, members of the military, students, people of color, the disabled, and absentee voters who may not have the specific kind of identification this unnecessary amendment requires.
"This amendment all but eliminates election-day registration and prevents the use of newer technologies to improve our now nationally-recognized election system.
"If voters approve this amendment, it will be harder to legally vote in Minnesota than it is in nearly every other state.
"It’s unfortunate that this is amendment marks the first time in state history that an amendment is put before Minnesotans without even a shred of bipartisan support."
The Minnesota AFL-CIO, a labor federation made up of more than 1,000 affiliate unions, representing more than 300,000 working people throughout the state, joins with organizations such as the League of Women Voters, AARP and the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits in actively opposing this amendment.
TakeAction Minnesota, a statewide organization of more than 14,000 individual members and 29 organizational members, also condemned the proposal.
"Today conservatives in the Minnesota legislature chose to put the interests of the 1% over the interests of over 700,000 Minnesotans whose right to vote will be hindered by photo ID," said Dan McGrath, executive director of TakeAction.
"When Minnesotans find out the significant barriers, costs and burdens a photo ID restriction will place upon their constitutional liberties – including ending same-day voter registration and absentee balloting as we know it – they will reject it."
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"Plain and simple, this amendment will do more to prevent law-abiding Minnesotans from voting than actually stopping any fraud at the ballot box," Minnesota AFL-CIO President Shar Knutson said following the Legislature’s passage of the legislation Wednesday.
"This amendment puts an undue burden on seniors, members of the military, students, people of color, the disabled, and absentee voters who may not have the specific kind of identification this unnecessary amendment requires.
"This amendment all but eliminates election-day registration and prevents the use of newer technologies to improve our now nationally-recognized election system.
"If voters approve this amendment, it will be harder to legally vote in Minnesota than it is in nearly every other state.
"It’s unfortunate that this is amendment marks the first time in state history that an amendment is put before Minnesotans without even a shred of bipartisan support."
The Minnesota AFL-CIO, a labor federation made up of more than 1,000 affiliate unions, representing more than 300,000 working people throughout the state, joins with organizations such as the League of Women Voters, AARP and the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits in actively opposing this amendment.
TakeAction Minnesota, a statewide organization of more than 14,000 individual members and 29 organizational members, also condemned the proposal.
"Today conservatives in the Minnesota legislature chose to put the interests of the 1% over the interests of over 700,000 Minnesotans whose right to vote will be hindered by photo ID," said Dan McGrath, executive director of TakeAction.
"When Minnesotans find out the significant barriers, costs and burdens a photo ID restriction will place upon their constitutional liberties – including ending same-day voter registration and absentee balloting as we know it – they will reject it."